Finding sweet treats when you are trying to avoid sugar is a constant challenge. Somehow our universe is set on placing all kinds of obstacles for baked goods lovers like me. And those obstacles are so hard to avoid! Sugar is - e v e r y w h e r e - !!! Carbohydrates are the culprits! And, although our bodies thrive on a good balance of proteins and carbs, some of us need to tip those balances to achieve wellness.

So, in the search for ways to tip the balances to our benefit, I have been trying all kinds of ways that we can have our cake and eat it too. Without the added guilt. So if you are, like me, embarking on health driven paths, then this recipe is perfect for you. This is gluten free, grain free, keto friendly and all natural, no added sugar goodness.

Lately I’ve been playing around with all new flour options. It is tricky, to say the least, to work around the unknown. I have been using quite a lot of almond flour for breads and cakes. Being 100% almond, there is no worry of added carbs. One serving of cake or bread made with almond flour will render no more than 2 grams of carbohydrates, but lots of fiber!

Almond flour is made with blanched almonds; it is a white and fine flour, perfect for cakes or breads. These muffins, though, are made with almond meal, which is ground almonds with their skin intact. I like it for more chunky textures. Thus these muffins have more crunch in each bite. Plus, the addition of walnuts just seals the deal. Crunch!!!

Back to sugar, and the ways to find sweetness without it. In these muffins there is no added sugars. I used only very ripe bananas, the ones with all the black spots on the peel. Never mind the bananas in these photos, I used up all the ripe ones for the recipe. When the bananas are super ripe, the natural sugar levels are high and perfect for adding the delightful sweet flavor to your baked goods.

So when you see those bananas go ripe, too soft to and gooey to peel, do not throw them away! Freeze them! Save them for when you are in the mood for banana bread, muffins, or banana pancakes. Just thaw them, peel them and mash them. You will be glad you stashed them in your freezer.

Can’t find almond flour where you live? No problem! Grind almonds yourself. Blanched (peeled) almonds for white fine flour, and almonds with peels for almond meal. I use my food processor for this. Almonds are very oily and moist and won’t be easy to process in your blender. You will need to pulse intermittently and scrape several times with a spatula. It can be done!

All that is left now is to get baking! and eating!

You can add your choice of sweetness if your tooth is sweeter than mine. I could recommend maple syrup for the warm flavor, or your choice of sugar substitutes. Personally I loved the mild sweetness that these ripe bananas gave the muffins. But when it comes to cravings, you are your own judge! Enjoy!!!